Inside the PD: Juan Jackson out at Warwick

There will be yet another coaching change in Peninsula District football.

Juan Jackson will not be returning for what would have been his fifth season at Warwick, Newport News Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Morgan Price said Thursday. Jackson coached the Raiders to a 22-21 record with three playoff appearances.

Jackson said he was susprised by the decision.

"Normally you expect that to happen in November or December," he said. "Not March. But they said they wanted to go another direction next season."

Coaches serve a one-year appointment, which is subject to review after each season.

Jackson, a former Denbigh assistant, replaced Stan Sexton at Warwick in 2009. He came directly from Princess Anne, where he had gone 1-19 in two seasons.

In his first season, he coached Warwick to its first win over Hampton since 1965. In each of his first three seasons, the Raiders finished 6-5 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

With a veteran team, Warwick was picked third last fall. Instead, the Raiders lost their first four games and finished 4-6, their first losing season since 2004.

Injuries played a role. Cardon Johnson, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, sustained a neck injury in the season’s fourth game and missed the remainder of the season. Quarterback Josh Butler missed one game with a sprained knee.

This marks the seventh coaching change in the Peninsula District since the end of the 2010 season. Only Hampton’s Mike Smith, Woodside’s Danny Dodson and Denbigh’s Marcellus Harris III will go into the fall with more than two years of head coaching experience at their school.